PLUGGABLE OLT IN ETHERNET PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORKS

• US 20110182588A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Teknovus Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wojtowicz, Jaroslaw
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring

Abstract

One embodiment provides a pluggable optical line terminal (OLT). The OLT includes a bi-directional optical transceiver configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs), an OLT chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the ONUs through the optical transceiver, and a pluggable interface coupled to the OLT chip and configured to electrically interface between the OLT chip and a piece of network equipment. The optical transceiver, the OLT chip, and the pluggable interface are contained in an enclosure complying with a form factor, thereby allowing the pluggable OLT to be directly plugged into the network equipment.

Claims

1. A pluggable optical line terminal (OLT), comprising:

a bi-directional optical transceiver configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs);

an OLT chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the ONUs through the optical transceiver;

a pluggable interface coupled to the OLT chip and configured to electrically interface between the OLT chip and a piece of network equipment;

wherein the optical transceiver, the OLT chip, and the pluggable interface are contained in an enclosure complying with a form factor, thereby allowing the pluggable OLT to be directly plugged into the network equipment.

2. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the network equipment is an Ethernet line card.

3. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is a gigabit interface converter (GBIC) interface which can be plugged into a GBIC port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as a GBIC transceiver.

4. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) interface which can be plugged into an SFP port on the network equipment, and wherein the form-factor is substantially the same as an SFP transceiver.

5. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is a 10 gigabit small form-factor pluggable (XFP) interface which can be plugged into an XFP port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an XFP transceiver.

6. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is a small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) interface which can be plugged into an SFP+port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an SFP+ transceiver.

7. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is a XENPAK interface which can be plugged into a XENPAK port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as a XENPAK transceiver.

8. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the pluggable interface is an X2 interface which can be plugged into an X2 port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an X2 transceiver.

9. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional optical transceiver is a pluggable transceiver and is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a multi-mode or a single-mode optical fiber.

10. The OLT of claim 1, further comprising a power-management module configured to provide power to the OLT chip and the optical transceiver, using power delivered from the network equipment through the pluggable interface.

11. The OLT of claim 1, further comprising a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) module which is coupled between the pluggable interface and the OLT chip, thereby facilitating serial communication through the pluggable interface.

12. The OLT of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the OLT chip comprises a die directly attached on the PCB without conventional chip packaging.

13. A system, comprising:

a line card; and

a pluggable optical line terminal (OLT) plugged into the network equipment, the OLT comprising;

a bi-directional optical transceiver configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs);

an OLT chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the ONUs through the optical transceiver; and

a pluggable interface coupled to the OLT chip and configured to electrically interface between the OLT chip and the network equipment;

wherein the optical transceiver, the OLT chip, and the pluggable interface are contained in an enclosure complying with a form factor, thereby allowing the pluggable OLT to be directly plugged into the network equipment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the line card is an Ethernet line card.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is a gigabit interface converter (GBIC) interface which can be plugged into a GBIC port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as a GBIC transceiver.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) interface which can be plugged into an SFP port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an SFP transceiver.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is a 10 gigabit small form-factor pluggable (XFP) interface which can be plugged into an XFP port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an XFP transceiver.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is a small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) interface which can be plugged into an SFP+port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an SFP+ transceiver.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is a XENPAK interface which can be plugged into a XENPAK port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as a XENPAK transceiver.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the pluggable interface is an X2 interface which can be plugged into an X2 port on the network equipment, and wherein the form factor is substantially the same as an X2 transceiver.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the bi-directional optical transceiver is a pluggable transceiver and is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a multi-mode or a single-mode optical fiber.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the OLT further comprises a power-management module configured to provide power to the OLT chip and the optical transceiver, using power delivered from the network equipment through the pluggable interface

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the OLT further comprises a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) module which is coupled between the pluggable interface and the OLT chip, thereby facilitating serial communication through the pluggable interface.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the OLT further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB);

and

wherein the OLT chip comprises a die directly attached on the PCB without conventional chip packaging.